McKINNEY NAMED MBB'S FIRST LEAGUE MVP SINCE 1977; GARRITY ON 2ND TEAM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento State's dynamic back court of senior guards and co-captains Mikh McKinney and Dylan Garrity each received all-Big Sky Conference recognition today, highlighted by McKinney being named conference MVP and unanimous first team all-league.

Not only was McKinney the recipient of unanimous first team honors for the second straight year, he also became the first Sacramento State men's basketball player to be named Big Sky Most Valuable Player, and the first player in the program's Div. I era (1991-pres.) to receive conference MVP accolades. Moreover, the third-year senior also became the first Hornet conference MVP since Nate Robinson was named the Far Western Conference's co-Player of the Year in 1977. In addition, McKinney becomes the first player in school history to be selected to the Big Sky's first team on more than one occasions.

Garrity, who was an honorable mention all-league choice each of his first three seasons, was selected to the second team this year. The fourth-year senior became the first-ever Sacramento State men's basketball player to receive all-Big Sky recognition four times. The program joined the Big Sky in 1996-97.

Together, McKinney and Garrity have become the faces of the transformation of Sacramento State basketball into a title contender. Regarded as the best back court in the Big Sky, the pair have led the Hornets to an improved conference record every season of their careers.

McKINNEY
• Averaging 19.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.6 steals and 36.9 minutes per game while shooting .515 (190-369) from the field, .423 (55-130) from the 3-point line and .780 (96-123) from the free throw line. He is also a team-best +128 in plus/minus ratio.
• He became the first player in school history to be named to the Lou Henson Mid-Major Player of the Year Watch List. He is one of two players from the Big Sky to make the list.
• Has won Big Sky Player of the Week honors four times this season, more than any other player in the league
• Amazingly, he ranks among the nation's top 65 players in 10 different categories, including seventh in steals per game, 20th in minutes per game, 30th in points per game, and 44th in both total field goals made and assists per game.
• Perhaps the most impressive stat from his line is the field goal percentage (.515), which is the sixth best mark in the nation among guards.
• He ranks among the Big Sky's top three players in five categories; first in steals and minutes, second in scoring and assists, and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (+2.4).
• Has scored at least 15 points in 12 straight games, at least 11 points in 27 straight games, and has gone over the 20-point mark on 12 occasions.
• In conference play, he averaged 19.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.2 steals and 37.9 minutes per game while shooting .502 (123-245) from the field, .451 (41-91) from the 3-point line and .753 (67-89) from the free throw line.
• Has scored in double figures in 72 career games.
• Has started all 87 games in which he's played in a Sacramento State uniform.
• Among Sacramento State career leaders, he ranks among the top 10 players in 13 different statistical categories, including second in minutes per game (34.0), third in games started (87) and total minutes (2,955), fourth in free throws made (306) and attempted (381), fifth in points (1,386), assists (354), steals (144) and field goals made (479), seventh in steals per game (1.7), eighth in field goals attempted (1,019), and 10th in 3-point percentage (.384) and assists per game (4.1).

GARRITY
• Averaging 13.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game while shooting .455 (122-268) from the field, .406 (69-170) from the 3-point line and .837 (72-86) from the free throw line.
• Has a plus/minus ratio this season of +101.
• Currently the Big Sky's third best free throw shooter and seventh best 3-point shooter at 2.4 made 3-pointers per game.
• Buried a 3-pointer with 6.2 seconds left in a home victory over Montana, 70-69.
• In conference play, he is averaging 13.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 33.6 minutes per game while shooting .452 (76-168) from the field, .381 (40-105) from the 3-point line and .845 (49-58) from the free throw line.
• Has scored in double figures 24 times this year, and 72 times over the course of his four-year career.
• Has raised his scoring average every year of his career, from 8.1 ppg as a freshman, to 11.6 ppg, 13.2 ppg, and currently 13.3 ppg this year.
• Sacramento State's all-time leader in assists (521), games started (112) and total minutes played (3,857).
• Also ranks sixth in Big Sky history in assists per game.
• Buried the 75-foot "Hail Garrity" at the buzzer last season to defeat Weber State at home in overtime.
• Is currently shooting better than 40 percent from the 3-point line for the third straight year.
• Besides ranking first in school history in assists, starts and total minutes, Garrity also ranks among the program's career top 10 in the following....tied for first in games played (115), fifth in free throws made (305) and 3-pointers made (210), sixth in points (1,331), free throws attempted (364), free throw percentage (.838), 3-point percentage (.417) and 3-pointers attempted (504), and seventh in assists per game (4.5) and minutes per game (33.5).

Sacramento State (19-10, 13-5), currently enjoying easily its best season in the program's Div. I era (1991-pres.), will be the No. 3 seed at this week's Big Sky Tournament in Missoula, Mont. The Hornets will take on No. 6 Portland State at 12:30 p.m. PDT in the quarterfinal round. The winner of the Big Sky Tournament receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, a place the Hornets have never been since joining the Div. I ranks in 1991.